Star Trek: Picard’s Academy #1 is written by Sam Maggs and published by IDW Publishing. Artwork is by Ornella Greco and colours by Charlie Kirchoff, letters are by Jeff Eckleberry. Main cover art (left) is by Sweeney Boo.
Star Trek: Picard’s Academy #1 is available now, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold.
Synopsis
From New York Times best-selling author Sam Maggs (Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars and Marvel Action: Captain Marvel) comes a new ongoing series unveiling the past of one of Starfleet’s most celebrated officers: Captain Jean-Luc Picard! Before becoming the Federation’s finest, Jean-Luc was an ordinary student at Starfleet Academy with sights on the stars. His path forward was charted: blow his classmates out of the water on the infamous Evasive Maneuvers exam and graduate early. But there’s a detail Cadet Picard hadn’t factored into his plan: the exam was a group project and he’d need to make friends with, ugh, people if he stood a chance at passing. Federation starships aren’t run by a party of one, after all.
Review
76 years before the thrilling events of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Jean-Luc Picard was a mere second-year cadet at Starfleet Academy. Events in the year 2325 are the subject of brand new IDW series Star Trek: Picard’s Academy which kicks off today with a brilliant first issue from writer Sam Maggs and artist Ornella Greco.
The now 20 year-old Picard is pushing himself to become top of his class. A burning desire to succeed acts as the connective tissue between this more hot-headed youth and the counterpart we were introduced to in 1987 with the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation. But whilst his ambition reflects his ultimate destiny, everything else about this younger Picard has been dialled back and replaced by a more inexperienced and adolescent version of the character.
Fans of The Next Generation will recall the season 6 episode “Tapestry” in which Picard is taken back in time by Q to relive the misadventure which saw his near-fatal stabbing by a Nausicaan. In that episode the younger Picard had an arrogance which is older-self did not. That arrogance (and a supporting character from that episode) exists here, keeping the story somewhat in canon. Maggs has instilled Picard with a burning desire to graduate early from the academy. Though it isn’t fully explained why he is so desperate to get out in to space, it provides plenty of conflict for the story as he alienates himself from almost everyone he comes in to contact with.
His only friend is Starfleet groundskeeper, Boothby. Again fans will remember his character from several of the 90s Star Trek series. Boothby has been a recurring player in life at Starfleet Academy so, again, Maggs has cleverly tied this new era to what we’ve seen elsewhere. There’s another rather enticing Easter egg at the end of this issue which will certainly pique fans interest.
Maggs is joined by artist Ornella Greco who brings a cartoon-like quality to the book. The style fits perfectly with the story. It’s youthful and more energetic, for a moment I was almost convinced that Picard’s Academy could be aimed at a younger audience. But some fruity language tells a different story.
Verdict
Star Trek: Picard’s Academy #1 is a cool introduction to a new take on the legendary character. It’s fun to see him in this younger, less developed form. Particularly as he stumbles in his interactions with others and struggles with academy life. Teamed with Ornella Greco’s playful visual style this is going to be a fun book to follow.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
